Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
GW: Funny how such a pistol is illegal in Mexico.
Cocoa, FL – EAA/Girsan proudly introduces the latest addition to their Cultural Series of handguns – the Mexican Coat of Arms Liberador. Built on the reliable Regard MC platform and chambered in 9mm, this pistol is a tribute to the national symbol of Mexico and its people. Read more
Building upon the previous Senate passage, moments ago, the House of Representatives passed the Duck Stamp Modernization Act of 2023 (S. 788), a bipartisan bill to bring the federal duck stamp process into the 21st century by allowing for hunters to have an electronic federal duck stamp on their smart phone for the entirety of the hunting season. This legislation now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Read more
GW: So sad about the accidents. Shooting at running deer doesn’t fit an ethical rule: If you can’t make the shot 9 out of 10 times, don’t pull the trigger. And, don’t kid yourself!
The opening weekend of Iowa’s second gun deer season saw another 50,000-plus hunters’ enjoying time in the timber in pursuit of legendary whitetails. Unfortunately, there were three hunting incidents that serve as a reminder for hunters to review safety measures before heading out.
Two separate incidents involved the same issue – shooting at running deer – where deer were running between two hunters and one hunter was struck by a wayward shot from another in their party. The other incident involved a self-inflicted injury due to carelessly handling a firearm and lack of muzzle control.
All three required medical attention and all three were preventable, said Jamie Cook, hunter education coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Read more
Thursday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. EST/noon CST, Via Zoom and Facebook Live
If you enjoyed some time on Great Lakes beaches this summer, you may have encountered a little, sandy-colored shorebird called a piping plover. These birds are part of an endangered population that has been making quite the comeback over the last decade. This year, a new record was shattered: 80 pairs of piping plovers nested in the Great Lakes region – the most pairs since being listed as endangered! And for the first time in the piping plover recovery program’s history, the birds were released outside of Michigan, the population’s stronghold. Read more
Rogue Ridge’s fastest fat tire e-bike, RG1000 can carry outdoorsmen an impressive distance on a single charge.
Equipped with a 1,000-watt motor and 13 amp hour battery, the RG1000 has plenty of power to blast up the steepest hillsides. It can reach up to 30 mph with five different power levels, with a range of up to 50 miles and a charge time of just 2.5 hours.
With high-quality fat tires that easily tackle any terrain from sand and rocks to snow and mud, the RG1000 is a reliable workhorse for all outdoor adventures. The 6061 aluminum hardtail frame is load-rated for 350 pounds.
The e-bike comes off-road ready with a rear pannier rack, 48v 2a charger, mud fender, tire liners, and a 1-year warranty. With a Dark Earth finish, the RG1000 is available at an incredible value of $4,499.99. Read more
Steelhead Outdoors now offers the popular Rustic Nomad finish and Recon model in its smaller 26 size gun safes that are perfect for small spaces. These safes fit comfortably in most closets making them great for homes, apartments, townhomes and temporary living situations. Every panel weighs less than 100 lbs. so they are easy to move and assemble on location.
The Rustic Nomad 26 and the Recon 26 are built to provide security, versatility and American-made quality for hunters, shooters, and firearm collectors. The 26-model number corresponds with the gun safes’ exterior width. A Steelhead Outdoors 26 be configured to hold 6-15 long guns. Read more
Nothing can leave a person feeling more helpless than finding a dead battery in a car when needed. Whether in a dark, empty parking lot or on a lonely back road, a flat car battery is unexpected, inconvenient, and can lead to a dangerous predicament. Even if there’s a set of jumper cables in the trunk, they are of little use unless there’s another vehicle nearby to provide a boost. And if there’s no cell coverage, no rescue number in the world will help. So how can such a situation be prevented?
NEBO has the solution with the NEBO Assist 800 Jump Starter, a 3-in-1 utility that provides jump starting, charging and a light in one convenient, rugged, compact design. With 800 peak amps of power, any 12-volt car, truck, or marine battery, along with 4-liter gas engines, can be jumpstarted. Read more
NEXTORCH Industries, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of illumination tools and specialized equipment for law enforcement, first responder, tactical, and outdoor applications, is proud to announce the NEXTORCH UT51 Red-Blue Flashing Signal Bracelet. This sophisticated signaling bracelet allows you to be highly visible while wearing the device or to mark potential hazards for other road users. Read more
A federal appeals court has struck down a New York state law requiring private property owners to post signs allowing concealed carry on property open to the public as part of a massive decision dealing with several separate challenges of the Empire State’s post-Bruen gun control legislation.
The Second Amendment Foundation was involved in two of the four cases decided by the court in its 261-page ruling. They are known as Hardaway v. Chiumento and Christian v. Chiumento. The cases were before the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Christian case challenged the signage requirement. The court noted that the regulated conduct—carrying a firearm for personal protection on private property—“falls within the Second Amendment right to carry.” Thus, the requirement to post signs allowing carry on private property open to the public was struck down. The restriction carried with it a criminal penalty of up to four years imprisonment and was graded as a Class E felony – which would strip the individual of their right to keep and bear arms in perpetuity.
The Hardaway case challenged a tenet of the law prohibiting carry in places of worship. The complaint became moot when the legislature changed the law after SAF sued to allow people such as plaintiff Jimmie Hardaway to carry in his church. In both cases, SAF was joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition.
There was another major win for gun rights in the lengthy decision, in a case not involving SAF. The court struck down a requirement to allow government access to private social media accounts in order to apply for a carry license.
“Our challenges were narrowly constructed, allowing us to win a small but significant victory in the Christian case,” noted SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “Because the legislature changed the law after our lawsuit was filed in the Hardaway case, we consider that a victory as well.”
“These are just two more examples of SAF carrying out its mission to win firearms freedom, one lawsuit at a time,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb.
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Across much of America, millions of recreational boats have been laid up for winter storage. With the boating season officially over, some boat owners may think they are free and clear for the next six months. However, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers three best practices for winter storage to ensure the off-season goes smoothly and safely.
1. If you haven’t done so yet, read your marina, boat club or storage facility contract. Every page. Why? This document clearly specifies critical safety rules to live by over the winter. Don’t assume that because you read one contract they’re all the same. Different contracts apply to the specific type of winter storage you might have, such as outdoor, indoor or boats stored on a rack. Contracts also include work rules. Some common ones may include no work of any kind (most often for boats in rack storage but also sometimes for indoor storage), prohibiting outside contractors, no heaters or portable generators, or batteries must be disconnected. Why all the rules? There’s no getting around the fact that vessels tightly stored together tee up an increased fire hazard. So, for the greater good of everyone in winter storage, follow these rules to the letter.
2. Say “no” to power cords. While this best practice could have been included above, it deserves its own mention. Ask any marina owner what keeps them up at night over the long winter storage period and they will tell you one item at the top of the list is power cords. Undersized and multiple cords connected together are not only a potential source of ignition but make whatever they are plugged into, such as a battery charger or heater, another fire issue. If you need power to the boat to do some off-season work, check with your marina first. Some marinas may also require notification of any work you wish to do.
3. Visit your boat – safely. BoatUS recommends checking on your boat at least once during the off season, though more often is better. This will help ensure animals don’t make a home and your cover or shrink wrap is still effectively shedding ice and snow. When visiting the boat, it’s best to find a parking spot away from vessels on jackstands. Don’t move or adjust jackstands, and never tie off a winter cover to them. If you need to use a ladder to climb aboard, tie it off at the top. If your boat is stored in the water, bring a friend with you so a slip off an icy dock doesn’t go unnoticed.